Once

The story of Once

Set in contemporary Dublin, Once follows a heartbroken busker on the verge of giving up music and a practical, plain-spoken young woman who hears something in his songs worth saving. Over the course of a short but pivotal stretch of days, the two collaborate on music, edge toward romance, and ultimately help each other move forward with their lives, even if not necessarily together.

The story is small in scale and deeply human, favoring quiet observation and emotional honesty over big theatrical spectacle, which set it apart from many of its Broadway contemporaries.

The music and the makers

The songs came from musicians Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who originally wrote and performed the music for the film that inspired the stage show. Their sound draws on Irish folk and contemporary singer-songwriter traditions, built around acoustic guitar, piano, and a stripped-down, unpolished emotional directness.

On stage, the actors themselves played their own instruments as part of the ensemble, blurring the line between musicians and characters and reinforcing the show's handmade, close-to-the-bone atmosphere.

Once on Broadway

Once opened on Broadway in 2012 and stood out for its unusually low-key, almost folk-concert presentation, including a pre-show pub scene where the audience could mingle with cast members on stage. That approach offered a refreshing contrast to bigger, splashier musicals of the period.

Its success demonstrated that Broadway audiences had real appetite for smaller, more intimate storytelling, and it helped open the door for other film-to-stage adaptations built around understated, character-driven songwriting.

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